Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb happer

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The English translation of the French verb happer is “to snatch” or “to grab.” The infinitive form of happer is pronounced as “ah-peh.”

Happer comes from the Old French word “haper” which means “to seize” or “to catch.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that occurred before another action in the past.

Here are three examples of how happer is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais happé le livre avant qu’il ne tombe par terre. (I had snatched the book before it fell to the ground.)
  2. Tu avais happé la dernière part de gâteau avant que je ne puisse en prendre une bouchée. (You had grabbed the last piece of cake before I could even take a bite.)
  3. Ils avaient happé le collier en or dans la boutique avant que le vendeur ne s’en rende compte. (They had snatched the gold necklace in the store before the salesperson even noticed.)

Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of happer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais happé J’avais happé le papillon. I had caught the butterfly.
tu tu avais happé Tu avais happé le ballon. You had caught the ball.
il il avait happé Il avait happé la proie. He had caught the prey.
elle elle avait happé Elle avait happé le poisson. She had caught the fish.
on on avait happé On avait happé l’insecte. One had caught the insect.
nous nous avions happé Nous avions happé le voleur. We had caught the thief.
vous vous aviez happé Vous aviez happé la balle. You had caught the ball.
ils ils avaient happé Ils avaient happé le pigeon. They had caught the pigeon.
elles elles avaient happé Elles avaient happé la souris. They had caught the mouse.

Other Conjugations for Happer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb happer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer     (this article)

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb happer

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Happer – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense

The French “plus-que-parfait” tense is a past tense used to express actions or events that occurred before another past action or event. It is often translated to English as the “pluperfect” tense. The name “plus-que-parfait” literally means “more than perfect,” indicating that it is a tense used to describe actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Tense Formation

To form the plus-que-parfait tense, you typically use the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “être” (to be) in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are the conjugations for both auxiliary verbs:
1. With “avoir” as the auxiliary verb:
   – J’avais mangé (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlé (You had spoken)
   – Il/elle/on avait fini (He/She/One had finished)
   – Nous avions lu (We had read)
   – Vous aviez choisi (You had chosen)
   – Ils/elles avaient joué (They had played)
2. With “être” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’étais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu étais arrivé(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on était tombé(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous étions resté(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous étiez né(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s (They had gone up)

Common everyday usage patterns

Sequencing of past events

The plus-que-parfait is used to express a past action that happened before another past action. For example, “J’avais mangé avant qu’il ne soit arrivé” (I had eaten before he arrived).

Background information

It is also used to provide background information or set the stage for a main past event. For instance, “Quand je suis arrivé, ils avaient déjà fini de manger” (When I arrived, they had already finished eating).

Hypothetical or reported speech

In indirect speech, the plus-que-parfait is used to report what someone had said or thought in the past. For example, “Il avait dit qu’il viendrait demain” (He had said that he would come tomorrow).

Interactions with other tenses

– The plus-que-parfait is often used in conjunction with the passé composé (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passé composé describes the more recent action, while the plus-que-parfait describes the action that occurred earlier.
– It can also be used with the conditional mood to express a hypothetical past event, like “Si j’avais su, j’aurais agi différemment” (If I had known, I would have acted differently).
– When used in reported speech, it can be combined with the conditional mood or the imperfect subjunctive to reflect the original mood and tense of the reported statement.

Summary

The French plus-que-parfait tense is an essential part of the language for expressing past actions that occurred before other past actions, providing background information, and reporting past statements or thoughts. It is an integral component of constructing complex and accurate narratives in French.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb happer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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